Never Sleep Alone

WASAGA BEACH – Artist and textile designer Melissa Christie’s zombie bedding takes the mystery out of the old childhood fear of what’s hiding under the bed.
Her design, dubbed Never Sleep Alone, depicts zombies’ arms and blood splatters along the edge of the duvet cover and when draped over a bed looks like brain-crazed zombies emerging from the earth, going for their slumbering victim. The blood-splattered pillowcases meet to form what looks like the debris left in the aftermath of someone getting their brains bashed out.
In the past year, Christie has sold more than 1,000 duvet covers and pillowcases online, working from her Wasaga Beach home with the help of a small staff to fill each order for one-of-a-kind bedding.
Christie, 23, said the design came to her during a sleepless night while in her final year of college in 2011, as she conjured images of monsters under the bed and zombie hordes.
A graduate of the three-year craft and design program at Sheridan College, Christie initially designed the bedding for an assignment but it was after she posted images of her work online and got up to 50,000 views that she realized the true marketing potential of the product.
When she first started selling the bedding online, Christie said the demand was overwhelming and she hired three people to help.
“I couldn’t keep up with the orders. I sold about 200 in the first day,” said Christie.
She said the initial interest did surprise her because she wasn’t trying to cater to any particular market or fad, she was simply creating something that appealed to her personally.
After graduation, Christie said she decided to work toward becoming a hair stylist, figuring it was unlikely she’d get a job in textile design, but the zombie bedding has since turned into a full-time endeavour.
“I’m just a small town girl,” said Christie, who grew up in Wasaga Beach. “I never thought this would ever happen but I’m glad it did.”
Christie said she’s always had a “weird dark twist” and it is incorporated into her artwork and textile designs.
Her zombie bedding just happens to come at a time when that fascination with the darker side of fantasy has seeped into mainstream culture with the popularity of The Walking Dead, an AMC television series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman, the Minecraft video game and events like Zombie Walk attracting thousands of worshippers of the undead.
She said her customers are a very diverse group ranging from 12-year-olds to older adults.
Christie currently employs one assistant and together they make six sets of bedding each day. A hand drawn image is silk screened onto the fabric and then the outline and details is added, using a second silk screen, before watered down red fabric paint is used to create the blood splatter, each one done free hand, making each one unique.
Christie said she has plans to expand her product line and is ramping up production in preparation for an upcoming appearance at ComiCon at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on March 9-10 where she will be selling her designs. She has also started advertising in a horror-genre publication.
The zombie motif is available in green or grey and is also available on T-shirts, cloth bags and aprons.
Christie now sells her products exclusively on her own website at www.itsalivedesigns.com.
Never Sleep Alone bedding comes in king, queen and twin. Prices range from $40 for standard pillowcases to $150 for a duvet set. Tote bags begin at $23 and placemats cost $25 for a set of two.
The bedding is printed using professional quality ink and washes well, said Christie. She advises people turn the bedding inside out and wash in a gentle cycle.